Ice Shattered Heart
by Moonlight102310
Summary: It was supposed to be a solo mission. But at the last moment, the Hokage demanded she take a partner. That's how she spent months on end with the most lazy and invasive man alive while on a dangerous mission that threatened the bond they shared. Love, Lemons, ShikaxSaku! Rated M!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: Hello all! I usually write only Sasuke and Sakura stories, but I wanted to try my hand at a Shikamaru and Sakura story. So this is a test run to see if I have any reviewers out there for this! So read and enjoy! **

**Summary: It was supposed to be a solo mission. But at the last moment, the Hokage demanded she take a partner. That's how she spent months on end with the most lazy and invasive man alive while on a dangerous mission that threatened the bond they shared. Love, Lemons, ShikaxSaku! Rated M!**

Sakura tried not to let the smell of sake burn her nose as she pushed the door open to her mentor's room. The older blonde was asleep at her desk, her hands tossed off the side and her head resting on her elbow. It didn't faze Sakura so much anymore. Nothing truly surprised the pinkette anymore. Anbu had turned her into a warrior, a cold one at that.

She wore the standard uniform. Black pants that clung to her skin and a black sleeveless turtleneck that proudly displayed the swirl of her black anbu tattoo. The white armor on her chest and arms hid the scars she wore on her body from previous missions. Her long pink hair was held up in a high ponytail and her cat shaped mask clung to the side of her head. A katana was strapped to her back, easily accessible for battle.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the drunken Hokage. It had barely been an hour before she had last seen her and she was already passed out? Sakura moved lithely to the desk and sent a spark of her chakra into Tsunade's arm. The woman twitched and sat up; her eyes dilated and cheeks rosy red. "Damn it girl, did you not see I was asleep?"

"You summoned me Tsunade-sama…right before I could leave for my mission."

Tsunade rubbed her forehead and leaned back in the chair. She wriggled her nose at the empty sake bottle next to her before her eyes gazed over her student. "Yes…about your mission."

Sakura kept her jade eyes narrowed at the woman. She was used to solo assassination missions. It was her only way of having fun these days. Her usual team had readily let her go into Anbu and saw less and less of her as she worked herself to the bone. She stood tall and proud, never portraying her true thoughts. This mission she had been given should've been relativity easy. "What about my mission?"

"I'm bumping it from A rank to S rank." Sakura merely shrugged her shoulders. The rank never mattered to her. All that mattered was that she go and return from the missions. Alone. "Is that all?"

"You don't understand the severity of the situation Sakura. It's not just another name in the bingo book."

Sakura didn't like to play coy with anyone. She rolled her eyes at Tsunade. "Then what is it that needs to be changed?"

Tsunade sighed and wished dearly for more sake. Her hangover was steadily pushing down on her head and all she wanted was to sleep. She shut her eyes, "You're taking a partner."

Sakura scoffed. She worked better alone. "I don't do partners."

"You do this time. You need someone to have your back." Sakura groaned. No one really knew her way of fighting. Most of her friends knew she was a cold-blooded killer. So who would want to partner with her? The door swung open and a figure stood in the door, slightly hunched. "You called Hokage-sama?"

"Nara, I have a mission for you."

Sakura immediately recognized Shikamaru. He wore his traditional clothing. Black pants and Jounin flack jacket. His hair was still up in its ponytail and his earrings shimmered brightly in the fluorescent lights. He shut the door and trailed to where Sakura was standing. Sakura had worked with Shikamaru countless times. He was the only one besides her team who ever had the privilege of seeing her violent side. He nodded his hello to her before turning his attention to Tsunade. Tsunade sobered up a bit. "Sakura, meet your partner. You two will be working together from here on out on this mission."

Sakura felt her insides melt at first. Her eyes looked out of her peripheral vision to see Shikamaru looking blankly at the Hokage before nodding his head. He cleared his throat, "How long?"

"This mission is guaranteed 6 months to a year. Assassination mission."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Assassination mission? He had rarely done those missions before. Tsunade usually only trusted them to the woman next to him. His eyes swept over Sakura's form and he barely suppressed a shiver. "Tsunade-sama, forgive me for asking, but aren't those missions usually solo?"

Sakura crossed her arms and looked out the window at the fading sun. She wanted to get going. The sooner this was done with, the sooner she could leave and get on with this god-forsaken mission. Tsunade smirked behind her hands. "Hai, but with the news I just acquired, I'm sending the two best shinobi to dispatch of the problem."

Sakura switched her pointed gaze from the window to her teacher, "Shishou…the mission was to kill a bandit in exchange for information."

"Exactly. The target is dead. You now have a different target."

Shikamaru shook his head. He knew this would be troublesome. He didn't mind being around Sakura, and usually found her violent tendencies to be amusing at times. But he had just gotten off from lab-work. He wanted a break. "Am I really necessary? Couldn't Sakura take Neji or Naruto?"

"Or no one at all. I can handle this Shishou."

The blonde was getting irritated. She wanted more sake if she had to deal with these annoying brats. She narrowed her eyes, "You two will be going. No arguments or I'll take you both off missions for 6 months."

Sakura tried to remain indifferent. She was slightly offended that her teacher thought she couldn't handle this. She glared, "Tsunade-sama, I don't think it would be fair to drag Shikamaru into my mission. He probably has better things to do that don't deal with me." He wasn't quite sure if he should be offended or praising her for trying to get him out of this mission. Still, something about the way she said that last sentence made a tiny spark in Shikamaru's mind. He stared at the Hokage, "Mission accepted."

Both women turned to look at the man who shoved his hands in his pockets. The glare he was receiving from Sakura wasn't something he was used to. He flitted back and forth on the balls of his heels, his attention anywhere but the fuming rosette next to him. Tsunade tossed him a scroll. "The mission is different now Sakura. You're no longer going for a bandit. No Anbu gear. Jounin attire will be fine. As soon as you change over Sakura, I expect the two of you to leave."

Sakura stalked to the door, knowing there was no arguing now that Shikamaru had accepted. He followed after her after bowing to Tsunade. Sakura's hand was on the door before she spoke up with closed eyes, "Who's the target Tsunade-sama?" The two were frozen when Tsunade sighed, "Uchiha Sasuke."

Shikamaru wasn't exactly sure when Sakura dashed out the door and down the steps. He turned to Tsunade with calculating eyes, "You think her emotions will get the best of her."

The blonde had finally stood from her seat and went to the window. She watched Sakura's figure leap over rooftops to her apartment complex. It was the only place Sakura had any solitude to let out her emotions. The woman let the pressure sag on her shoulders, "I want my apprentice back alive Nara, and I want her happy."

"Happy?"

She managed a tiny smirk. She waited to see if the young genius could figure out her motives when she abruptly turned around to him. "I'll let you sort out the details. You better hurry and catch her before she leaves."

Shikamaru nodded with a confused look in his eyes before weaving the signs for a teleportation jutsu. Tsunade looked at the spot her apprentice once stood and let a small broken chuckle leave her mouth, "You won't even know what hit you Sakura."

**AN: Just the prologue. Review! **


	2. Who Orders Who?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: Hope you enjoyed the prologue! Here's the first chapter! Enjoy and Review! **

"But Sakura-chan!"

"Shut up Naruto. You aren't even supposed to be here."

This was the scene Shikamaru walked into. The obnoxious and loud blonde was held in a headlock by a fuming kunoichi known for the ways she assassinated people. Kakashi sat calmly on her couch, his nose dug deep into his Icha Icha book while Sai painted from a chair. Yamato was in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of tea. The brown haired man sighed and dug his hands into his pockets again once Sakura looked up, "Troublesome…can we go?"

Sakura dropped the blonde to the floor and stalked to her room, slamming the door hard enough to push it off its hinges. Naruto flinched and looked up at the Nara with wide curious eyes, "What are you doing here Shikamaru?"

"I got placed on the mission with her." He scratched the back of his neck and avoided the copy-nin's eyes from across the room. Naruto threw himself at the man, "What's the mission? It's been so long…"

Shikamaru knew what Naruto was talking about. It was hardly ever that Sakura teamed with anyone. She preferred the silence over noise. He figured that was why Tsunade had teamed them up outside a lab together. They worked well together and he was a rather silent man. The rosette emerged from her room in her jounin outfit, her hair now rolling down her back in soft luscious pink waves. She wore a green flak jacket like him and the standard black pants, but she wore a long pink sleeved shirt under the vest. Her red headband was tied around her head like normal, except her eyes looked lifeless. No longer were they filled with kindness and joy. He wasn't sure what made her so cold; the Uchiha's disappearance, or her training in Anbu.

Sakura cracked her knuckles under her leather gloves and adjusted her katana on her back. She looked up at Shikamaru with a blank face, "Let's get going."

The Nara only nodded in agreement and pried Naruto off him. Naruto then turned to Sakura and engulfed her in a hug. For a deadly kunoichi, she was very petite. He had a hard time believing she could tear a hole out of the earth or send you across a forest with a flick of her wrist. Naruto's form towered over her, "What's the mission Sakura-chan? Baa-san usually sends you alone."

She pushed him off her. Since growing older, she was no longer the one who would welcome people touching her with a smile. She hated to be touched. Most men who touched her found themselves in the hospital with a broken arm or nose. She glared at her team, "It's classified Naruto. S rank assassination."

The noise in the room stopped. All the men peered over at the unfeeling kunoichi. Naruto slumped against the back of her chair. Shikamaru stared at them all, wondering just how they knew who it was about. The blonde's face morphed from worry to seriousness. "It's him isn't it? Baa-san is sending you after him now…"

Sakura looked away with blank eyes. The way she could school her face on instinct was fascinating. Shikamaru long remembered the girl who used to obsess over the Uchiha, who had bright eyes and a goal. What was her purpose now? Was she to become a killing machine like Anbu trained her to be? She barely helped in the hospital anymore. She looked…unhappy. Sakura nudged Shikamaru, "Let's go. I'll take the lead." She disappeared out of the door after that, her footsteps quiet as she waited for the man to catch up. Shikamaru didn't realize when Kakashi appeared by his side with a dark eye. "Kakashi-san?"

"Don't let her lose herself."

With glares from her team, he nodded and took off after his partner, finding her perched on the rooftop across the way. He easily caught up to her and the two leapt across the rooftops in silence. Sakura noticed it was a comfortable silence, the way his footsteps shadowed her as he took her flank with ease. She had never pictured Shikamaru Nara of all people to accompany her on a mission such as this. Even Naruto or Kakashi had never seen her on an assassination mission. She didn't necessarily care that he would be shadowing her, but she didn't quite understand the flutter of anxiousness in her stomach. The silence continued as they made it through the front gate and into the forests surrounding the village. The only sound between the two was the whistling of the trees and the rustling leaves. They had been running for a few good hours as the sun was making its way over the horizon in the western sky. Shikamaru landed next to Sakura, "Are you keen on running through the night?"

She frowned. She didn't want to stop but inside she knew it wasn't smart. She gave him a stiff nod. "Let's stop up at the bank ahead."

He didn't reply and kept in sync with her as they ran, steadily jumping to the lower branches of trees until they reached the ground around the water bank. The water was crystal clear and calm once the two got to their feet and trailed near the grass. Shikamaru removed the pack from his bag that he had grabbed before they left the village. Sakura glared at the water as he removed the tent from the bag, "Do you mind sharing a tent?"

Her voice was stiff and rough, as if she were getting over a bad cold. "I'll stay on watch thank you."

The Nara sighed and turned his eyes to his quiet companion. "You don't have to stay up. I can watch too."

"Go to bed Nara. I'm taking off at dawn whether you're awake or not." She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. The man narrowed his eyes and shoved the tent back in the bag. He put the bag down on the ground and laid down right next to Sakura, feeling slightly better knowing he wouldn't be separated from her in case of an attack. Sakura didn't move as her eyes continued to scan the forest line with a deep frown set in her mouth. Shikamaru pulled his hands behind his head and watched the pink and orange sky mix with the grey and white wispy clouds as the sun started to set. He had just started to shut his eyes when Sakura hunched forward and looked at the water. "What's on your mind?"

Sakura didn't answer. She didn't understand why this mission made her slightly uneasy. Was it because she would see Sasuke again after all this time? Years ago she had given up on the man, carelessly tossing aside any emotion of love or comfort she received. Thinking of him made her blood boil and her hand twitch towards her katana. She had been waiting for this mission. She wanted to see him dead at her feet. It was the only way she could feel sated for how she had been treated. But that wasn't at all why she was nervous. Deep down she unconsciously knew the reason she was anxious was because of the man lounging beside her. He was taller now, and his features had only grown more defined. She secretly wondered if his body was as toned as Naruto's. She had no doubt that with his rugged jaw and broad shoulders that he had a girlfriend. She often wondered why he was still one of the ones who sought out her opinion, despite how jaded she felt by life. Her eyes widened slightly when his finger pushed on her shoulder, "Woman, I'm talking to you."

She looked away from him, "Nothing."

"Boy you sure know how to keep up a conversation."

She didn't move her head. This man was really trying to tease her about not speaking when he was known for being lazy? "You're one to talk Nara."

The man sat up and glared at her. Even sitting he still towered over her small curled up frame. He pulled out the mission scroll and opened it, hoping to gain her attention. "We should go over details so our minds are on the same track."

With talk of the mission, she turned her head back around and looked at the scroll. Tsunade's elegant handwriting was scratched out from time to time or bolded. They were to infiltrate the sound as a couple, working undercover as they gathered information from Sasuke's reign as Otokage. When they decided to intervene, they were to dispatch of him and the village before retreating back to fire country's border for backup. Shikamaru knew all five Kages had a hand in this plan, what with their deep hatred of the fallen Uchiha. Sending team 7 to dispatch of their old teammate would have been a problem. But this was also Konoha's responsibility and who better than to send their very best assassin? He knew he was back-up for when they reached the village, keeping Sakura within the perimeters of the mission guidelines and making sure she came back alive and unscathed. What he didn't understand was why now? Why hadn't this happened sooner? Why was it that after every time he worked with this girl he found himself wanting her presence? Shikamaru often wondered himself how he had never given Sakura a chance to know him more. With the way she was now, he had to hope there could be a chance to find a sliver of her once joyful self. "We'll have to find an inn the moment we step into the borders of the village. We should travel like normal civilians once we reach the border of the country."

Sakura had to give Tsunade credit. At least her partner was a brilliant strategist who could think on his feet. In a strange way, she didn't feel as bad having him on this mission. He would let her have her fun while he stayed behind, only intervening if he had to. "Hai, Tsunade already states that the first four months should be reconnaissance." It would be the beginning of winter before she had the chance to take out Sasuke. Shikamaru nodded in agreement with her. "We'll have to blend in. We can use the time to gather information about the village before the fall harvest."

"Let me take him out alone."

The girl had to be insane. There was no other reason. Shikamaru immediately shook his head, "We do this together."

"I work better alone."

His voice was strangely gruff. He would never allow her to take out Sasuke alone. She wouldn't be able to do it without some backup; Sasuke's skill was just too much thanks to his deadly eyes. He'd end up having to take the final blow. "Not on this mission. We do things together."

Sakura grit her teeth. This is exactly why she didn't work in teams. Everyone had their own opinion about how to eliminate target. She glared up defiantly at her partner, "You think I can't handle it?"

He didn't want arguments. Arguments made his head hurt. He rolled up the scroll and set it back in his pack. "I never said that. I said on this mission we work together and we run plans by each other." He laid back down on his back and looked up at the darkening sky. The stars were bright in the sky as was the moon, its light shining down on the two. Sakura remained sitting in her spot, her anger coursing through her body. Just who the hell did he think he was? How could he make such decisions for her? They weren't dating, hell; they were barely even friends by most standards. Shikamaru could easily sense her tension. "I do not doubt your skills Sakura. I'm merely asking that you let me have your back like I should."

Sakura snorted and laid her head on her arms. "Sleep Nara."

He sounded irritated with her. "Stop calling me that."

Sakura didn't respond. She was rather taken off guard when the man tugged her arm out from under her head and pulled her body backwards against the ground. Her head hit the large bag and soon she found she was staring into Shikamaru's dark brown orbs. They were glaring at her and his eyebrows were furrowed, "I don't give a shit about your attitude Sakura. Refer to me by my name and work like me as you should."

"Bite me Shikamaru. I don't take orders from you."

"Tch. Troublesome woman…" She roughly turned around so that her back was to his face. She crossed her arms and laid there, staring at the edge of the forest. The man behind her sighed and shut his eyes. He wondered just what he had gotten himself into. He had been rather interested in the feisty kunoichi for months now. She fascinated him greatly. He watched her the day she received her Anbu tattoo and left for her first assassination mission. He was eager to find out the cause of her rather drastic change. Going from a caring doctor to a ruthless killer wasn't in her nature. So what happened to her? What was she hiding? Sakura could feel the man behind her relaxing and moved to sit back up when a shadow tugged her down. She grit her teeth, "Nara…"

He didn't bother to open his eyes, "You need rest too Sakura. We'll have to switch tomorrow, and I expect no trouble." The shadow holding her down was comforting and not too restrictive. The velvet feeling was warm on her skin and soothing along her back. Sakura didn't know if she should feel angry that he himself wasn't touching her or that his shadows that were. She didn't hiss or recoil at the touch like normal. It felt nice as he moved closer to her behind her. "I'll take first watch. Sleep."

"I told you not to order me around."

His response came fast. "And I told you not to have an attitude with me. You know it's a drag to deal with that." Sakura finally huffed and shut her eyes, focusing on the feel of his shadow around her torso. It felt good as her eyes drooped in slumber, her body vulnerable to the world around her. Shikamaru propped his hand on his cheek and leaned on his elbow. He gazed at the back of the rosette's body, silently planning his way to worm himself into her icy heart. He wondered if would shatter into a thousand pieces seeing her old teammate and love dead at her feet. He shot a wish up to the kami that if her icy heart shattered, it would only be the barrier that was shielding her from seeing what she had waiting right in front of her.

**AN: Kicking things off! Hope you enjoyed! Remember to review! **


	3. A Clue

I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: Next chapter! Enjoy and Review!**

Sakura awoke in the early morning hours feeling comfortable and warm. She hadn't slept that well in years. She was vaguely aware of a shadow still holding her down, but another pressure distracted her from the velvet of her partner's shadow. She opened her eyes to find she had turned in her sleep. She saw green of the jounin flak jacket before she looked up to find Shikamaru's head above her own. Her nose was dug into the material and his arm was around her waist, holding her close to him in his sleep. Sakura wasn't sure how to feel. This was the first time a person had touched her in years without being pushed away immediately. Sakura felt comfortable with him hovering over her small frame, his shadows still caressing her arms and neck. Her instincts told her to wake the man up and move him. She poked the man's chest, "Nara. Wake up."

He didn't even sound asleep despite how regular he was breathing. "Go back to sleep. You've been tossing and turning all night."

The air hissed out from behind her clenched teeth, "You're touching me."

His arm immediately snapped away from her waist like he had touched a burning stove. His shadows still remained around her, keeping her from leaping up and escaping their camp. He frowned at her, "I apologize." She shut her eyes and crossed her arms. She didn't turn her body away from him however. "Whatever."

He sent her a snide remark, hoping it would grate on her nerves like she was on his. "Do you feel better pushing people away from you? Or do you just get a kick out of seeing your friends unhappy?"

Her eyes snapped open to a smirk on Shikamaru's face. The way he could measure the anger on his face made him move his hand to her shoulder. She glared at the appendage, hoping it would burn the moment it touched her. He held it in place, "I don't understand why you push people away, but I intend to figure out why. You never used to be this way."

"I grew up. Now stop touching me."

He glared at her. That was a total lie and he knew it. Why did she insist on lying when she knew he could see right through it? "I don't believe you."

She turned her burning eyes to the hand on her shoulder. She wanted the confusing feeling to dissipate from her body. Why was his touch so soothing? Why did she have to be partnered with the one man who confused the hell out of her? Sasuke didn't even confuse her this much. She was supposed to be emotionless, uncaring. She had thrown away any form of comfort the moment she joined Anbu. "Nara, unless you want a broken arm, I suggest you stop touching me."

"Only if you call me by my first name."

Damn him. She clenched her teeth and shrugged her shoulder out from his grasp. "Fine." His shadow touched the back of her neck, and she was unable to suppress the shiver down her spine. He pulled his hand back under his other arm and glared at her. Dawn was approaching and the two silently agreed to get up and get going. Sakura wanted to make it to the border by mid-afternoon before they had to change over and walk the rest of the way. Shikamaru released the girl from his shadow and threw the pack on his back. She eagerly stretched her limbs and yawned. The brown haired man looked to the north, "Ready Sakura?"

"Hai."

The two took to the trees and jumped branch to branch, hovering by each other. Sakura was wrestling with her thoughts. Why hadn't she pushed him away this morning? Why had she finally felt comfortable next to a person, let alone a man? It was unlike her to wait so long before waking him up. Normally the perpetrator trying to touch her would find a chakra enhanced right hook in his face the moment she felt uncomfortable. But that was the thing. Shikamaru wasn't just an ordinary stranger or target. He was her partner, who was obviously worried about her. She looked over at him from the corner of her eye before brushing off her thoughts. She didn't need the worry or pity. She was fine without it.

It was nearly noon when they made it to the border of fire country and had to switch over to their undercover clothing. The two jumped down to the forest floor and found trees to cover them while they changed in private. Sakura stripped her clothes fast, pulling on a red and white yukata with sandals. She could only do so much with her hair and knew she would have to search for a jutsu to change it later. She had walked out from behind her cluster of trees with her jounin attire stuffed into a bag, "Shikamaru, aren't you done yet?"

He walked out from behind his tree, his shirt in his hand. "Yare yare woman, just about."

Her eyes widened at the sight of her partner. She had never seen such ripped and toned muscles on a man before. That's what he was hiding underneath that stupid vest of his? She could see scars marring his chest and the Anbu tattoo on his own shoulder. His pectorals were shaped and defined and sweat glided down his chest down, past his ripped abs to the top of his black jounin pants that hung loosely around his narrow hips. Sakura wanted the sweat rolling down the back of her neck to disappear. It was suddenly very hot in the forest and the man approaching her did not make the situation any better. He threw on a black long sleeve shirt on without any markings and shoved his vest into the bag. He removed the bandages from around his leg and slipped some kunai into his pocket. He looked up at the rosette to see her quiet, a small tinted blush highlighting her cheeks. "Come now, you're telling me that as a doctor you never saw a man without a shirt?"

She immediately schooled her face. Of course she had seen men without their shirts before, just not men who looked as particularly appealing as he did. The same confusing feeling was back in the pit of her stomach and she turned around to hide her eyes. Just what the hell was going on? She didn't have feelings for this man. She had sworn off love and marriage and anything that tied her down. So why was her heart pounding rapidly in her chest? Shikamaru chuckled and moved to her side. He hooked his finger in her headband and pulled it off to toss into their bag, "Would look mighty suspicious along with your pink hair don't you think?"

She nodded. "I'll need to perform a jutsu the next time we see water. I'll lessen the color."

He shrugged each of the packs on his back, using a shadow to hide her katana. "I happen to like cotton candy hair. It suits you."

The confusing feeling erupted in her stomach again. Her eyes were wide at the man and her mouth closed from the sheer surprise. Was he calling her pretty? Before she had the chance to reply, he held out his hand, "I know you dislike touching, but for the sake of our mission we need to at least pretend to be together. Would you allow me to at least hold your hand?"

Sakura stared at the hand he was holding out to her with distant eyes. He watched her curiously, wondering if she had already caught onto his plans. He wasn't stupid and surely not blind to the fact that his bare chest had definitely caught her attention. The blush that had infiltrated her cheeks before she realized made his heart pound. Her face had looked brighter, less pale than normal. Her eyes had looked more alive in years. He disliked the dull distant look she gave to people. He wanted the candy apple color that made her smile shine brightly in the sun and made you have to smile along with her. The Nara knew he couldn't just push her at first. He would ask her permission to find where he stood with her. She rarely trusted anyone in her life. He was slightly surprised when he felt tiny fingers trace his palm. Her eyes were downcast now, nervous.

Sakura looked down at the open palm with wide eyes. She never had to contemplate whether or not to let someone touch her. His palms were rough, filled with calluses and broken skin, but there was a tenderness to them. They were strong; they were protective. His hand could engulf hers and still have room for a kunai in his hand. Her soft skin against his rough skin made her arm shiver before she laced her fingers with his. She was trembling as the grip on her hand tightened, but allowed her room to breathe. Shikamaru sighed with a bit of relief as he held her tiny hand, "Shall we?"

She nodded her head and let him take the lead, keeping distance between them, but keeping their hands linked. It felt strange to Sakura. His touch was not unwelcoming. Just the strength in his hand and way his thumb would brush ever so lightly over her knuckles made her breath still. It was a small victory for Shikamaru, who had originally thought she would reject his offer. His mind was coming up with reasons as to why she allowed this simple connection. He was also thinking ahead to ways he could continue to slowly pry her life open. He flattened his chakra and masked it once they were out of the forest and onto the road. He felt his companion performing the same action, her eyes now hard and cold as they stared down the dirt road. He squeezed her hand gently, "You looked better when you didn't look so angry."

Sakura ignored him and continued to walk, knowing that the silence would settle over them soon. She needed the silence now. She didn't understand just what the hell was going on with her mind. What type of man was Shikamaru to go from flirting and sarcastic to serious and caring the next? Was he doing this to make her comfortable in their travels? Or was it simply for the mission? Shikamaru waited patiently beside her, finding his feet moving in synchronization with hers. He wondered if she could fight in a yukata like that. It had taken his breath away at first, to see her small petite frame emphasized in the restricting clothing. He could see the outline of her curves and chest, down to her bare legs that held her normal boots. It had been the colors that offset the blush on her cheeks that made the Nara believe he liked the clothing on his partner. He squeezed her hand again, jerking her from her thoughts, "Nani?"

"You're deep in thought."

She stared blankly at him. He had a knack for stating the obvious. "Wasn't that obvious?"

He rolled his eyes at her; "Whatever's on your mind must be big because you aren't hissing and insulting me like normal."

"I didn't realize you liked a woman who could intimidate you."

He chuckled at her. "Not necessarily intimidate, but more along the lines of keep a sarcastic conversation with me. There aren't many women out there intelligent enough to think on their feet as you do."

"What about half the kunoichi's in Konoha? Suna?"

He smirked slightly. She was talking to him without insults and hissing for once. She was sure intelligent, but couldn't understand the simple trap he set out for her. He shrugged his shoulders and squeezed her hand. He could feel her arm relax and he slightly shifted himself closer. "I could give a reason for each of them as to why they cannot keep up with me in a debate."

She didn't believe him. There had to be someone who kept his interest. "Hinata?"

"Hinata is a nice girl, but she tends to be rather shy and timid. She will never reveal her true opinion to others and hides within herself."

She had to give Shikamaru credit. He told the truth and was blunt about it. It was a value she liked. "TenTen?" He coughed to hide his laughter. Too many times he had pissed TenTen off with his blatant insults and cool nature. "Need I say that a violent weapon's mistress would get way to violent and end up killing me before the opening argument?"

He had a point. TenTen just last week had sent Lee to the hospital for spying on her while she was bathing. He had gotten one word out before she had broken his arm and sent him flying across the hot spring. Sakura shook off the thought, "Ino?"

The Nara sighed. His own teammate made him want to scream at times. "Ino makes every man around her feel less valued if they do not things according to her vision. Just last week she chewed me out for being too lazy to ask out-" He stopped and turned his face ahead. Sakura stared up at him with curious eyes. "Ask out whom?"

"Not important. Who else?"

"Temari?"

His ex-girlfriend made him roll his eyes. He had been glad that their relationship was just a memory. "The girl is overbearing and resorts to violence to get her point across. Not much different from you, but you can be calm when you chose to be."

"So what do all these reasons have to do with not keeping up with you in a debate?"

She had barely noticed that during the entire time they were talking, he had moved closer and closer to her side until their hips were brushing. Sakura felt her cheeks warm and she glared up at the man beside her. Shikamaru had a smile on his face somewhat resembling a smirk. "Those are reasons exactly why they cannot keep up with me. They either get too violent or too shy to respond to normal quips. You on the other hand are just violent and calm enough to be sarcastic back."

"I'm sarcastic?"

"A bit slow on the uptake as well apparently."

He was surprised when a hand came out of nowhere and punched his shoulder. He cursed silently under his breath, rubbing the spot with his free hand. He had thought she wouldn't hit him so soon. Then again, he had thought she wouldn't hold his hand. Sakura grumbled from beside him, her eyes narrowed. This had been more then she talked in years. How was it so easy to talk with this man? And when the hell had he moved so close to her? Was he trying to set her on edge? Apparently he had been trying to distract her from the place they were heading. Sakura heard the rush of water and leaves blowing.

The kunoichi looked up from her glare at the ground to find they were at the Valley of the End. The statues of Madera and Hashirama stood tall and intact after all these years of wear and tear. They were lucky to have missed any damage after the war.

The place brought back violent memories for Sakura. Images of Naruto nearly lying dead as a kid and images where he and Sasuke nearly fought to the death after the war made their way to the forefront of her mind. Sasuke ran from the fight, his life on the line. Had he not left they'd both be dead right now. She shook violently as the place continued to flood unpleasant memories into her mind. Shikamaru watched her as she stared listlessly into the waterfall between the two statues. It was the first time he had seen her afraid in years. A little bit of color had returned to her eyes as she stared. "We're going."

"You don't like this spot?"

"No. We're going a different way." She tried to tug him from his spot and nearly had to tap into her chakra because he wouldn't budge. He watched her with a cold look, "What's wrong with this place?"

"It's none of your business."

He tugged her towards him, until her torso hit his. His arm fell around her waist as he gazed at her curiously, "Did something…what happened here Sakura?"

She pushed the man away from her and stared at the water with tears. It wasn't right that she was feeling bubbles of emotion now. Hadn't that been why she joined Anbu in the first place? Her goal had been to wipe herself void and clean. This…place made everything crash in her mind. She didn't feel Shikamaru's arm wrapped around her waist until she was pressed against his cotton shirt. "Sakura, I'm your teammate, you don't have to hide anything from me."

The woman shut her eyes. Was she so weak that she would reveal all her emotions to Shikamaru? A man who was known for his perverted nature? It had been a day into the mission and he was already trying to find a place in her complicated world. Trust had been a thing she lost faith in. She didn't know if she could truly trust this man, despite him being her teammate. She gently pushed him away, "Don't Shikamaru. You don't want to know."

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want to know."

She shook her head, barking at herself to keep her façade. No tears, no emotions. That was her motto. No one would ever find out just why she hid herself away if she kept up the pretense of a cold and unfeeling girl. She turned away from him, "We have to go."

"Sakura,"

The man was curious now. Just what had happened here? This place brought back bad memories for both of them, but he had never seen such terror in her eyes before. It was an emotion that she hid from everyone. Even Sai was known to be more feeling then she was. He knew by this little fact that it wasn't just Anbu that had pushed her to be so standoffish. Something prior to that broke her completely and she had no one to rely on. So, she turned away, away from the people who cared. He had her hand tightly and his voice was darker, rough. "It's the Uchiha."

She stood frozen. He had been able to figure that out? How? Not even Naruto or Kakashi knew about her secret. She had guarded it with such protection and care and this man was able to see through her lies in seconds. Her hand limped in his and her head bowed, "You're crossing a line Shikamaru."

"Tell me."

"You won't think the same of me if you do know." She said with venom on her tongue. That surprised him. He wouldn't think the same of her? "Why wouldn't I think the same?"

She grit her teeth and shut her eyes as she tried to banish the thoughts from her head. His face, those eyes stared at her with such disdain. Her cries of pain and help echoed through the valley, yet no one came for her. He had killed every part of her that day both mentally and emotionally. Her head bowed, "Please."

She sounded broken. The best assassin in Konoha sounded choked up like a little girl who had hurt herself. The man's eyebrows creased in concern. "Sakura…"

"If you value me as a teammate, as an acquaintance or even a friend, you'll leave the subject be. It's not something I can talk about."

He stared at her back, deciding to back off for now. He'd approach this subject with her once they reached the village. Shikamaru knew that forcing information out of her would only serve to make them fight. She had been hurt someway by the Uchiha. In which way he wasn't sure yet, but he would find out. It had to be why she was so eager to take this mission alone. It had to be why she took any mission alone. It was her only way to vent her true feelings. He squeezed her hand; "I value you as something much more than those things Sakura." She looked back up as he walked to her side and maneuvered her away from the statues. "Let's go."

She followed him silently as the valley disappeared behind them, but searing her memories fresh into her mind again. They walked in silence over the border of Fire country into Oto. The aura was darker, and Sakura knew that anywhere she turned she would have to be on guard. Shikamaru found a small bank where he helped her perform the jutsu to lessen her pink hair. It was more purple then bright pink. She sighed and threw it up into a bun, "It will have to do."

"Will it stay for long?"

"I'll have to do it every month to keep the color intact. Usually assassination missions don't take this long. But…"

He squeezed her hand, "I know." Sasuke would recognize her instantly with the bright pink hair. It was a very unusual trait to have. After she had finished putting it up into a bun Shikamaru dove for her hand. "We'll have to find an Inn to stay at."

"There should be one coming up. There has to be a small village near the border." Just as she had predicted, a small village with a tiny Inn was up the road. It was getting to be early evening, and villagers were starting to scatter into their homes. With their chakra masked perfectly, Sakura tugged her teammate into the inn. It was dusty and old, with broken pieces of furniture in a corner. An elderly lady stood behind the counter with cold eyes, "Travelers aye?"

Shikamaru stepped up to the desk, "Do you have a room available for a night?"

She nodded and stuck out her hand with the key. Sakura glared coldly at the woman as she barked at Shikamaru for her payment. Giving her the gold coins she asked for, he tugged his teammate down to the room and pushed her in before walking in himself. He locked the door and trailed to the small bed in the middle of the room. Sakura glared at the tiny bed, "Figures."

Shikamaru sat in the chair next to the wall and removed his sandals. "Take it."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me Sakura."

"Of course I heard you. I'm asking why?"

He raised an eyebrow once his sandals were off. He gripped a kunai in his hand and glared out the window. "You hate to be touched remember?"

He tossed the kunai at the wall, making sure it lodged itself in the wood. Sakura only raised an eyebrow at him. He shook his head to dismiss her. He smiled slightly, "I'll take watch again."

She laid down in the bed with blank eyes. Was it fair that he kept doing that? The two watched the windows with distant looks and the silence was something neither wanted to interrupt. Sakura had her eyes shut as she clutched the pillow her head was laying on, "Why?"

The genius broke out of his daydream filled with laughter and pink hair. His arms were asleep and he thought he had been imagining Sakura speak. "Nani?"

"You confuse me Shikamaru Nara."

"I didn't know my words were something to confuse you with. What is it that I said that made you question everything?"

Her voice was quiet, meek. It wasn't his words. It was him. He was making her confused. But why the hell should he tell him that? "Why are you so anxious to know?"

"Wouldn't anyone be concerned about their teammate?"

She let out a ragged breath. He annoyed her. How could she feel so bad that he was sitting against the wall while she hogged the bed? She moved over to the side and turned to face the man across the room. "Get over here,"

"Excuse me?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not patient Shikamaru. Just get over here." He did as she asked and walked to the bed. He laid down on his side beside her, propping his head up on his elbow, "You want to share?"

"Shut up and be grateful. You're one of the only people I allow this close to me."

He did feel a bit privileged that she allowed him near her especially after the tension he felt radiating off her since the valley. She glared at his chest, her arms crossed over her own. She felt a slight tingle when his hand traced her now purple hair, "Purple doesn't do you justice."

Sakura tired to keep her voice as monotone as she could. "You annoy me."

A smirk, "So you've said."

She huffed. This man was irritating! She wanted nothing more then to wipe the smug look off his stupid face. She laid her head down on the pillow, "You never answered my question."

He tapped the side of his head with his finger. A ragged sigh left her mouth, "And you probably won't until I've told you what you want to know."

He only continued to gaze at her. The smile on his lips made her breath still. The sight of his face made her stupidly stare as his hand continued to touch her hair. Soft strokes; gentle breathing and a smile that took her breath away were his continuous answers to her silent questions. "Shikamaru?"

It was his laziest voice that answered, "You think way too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sleep."

And sleep is what she did. As her eyes were closing, she saw his smile, and his shadow lifting from behind him to surround her torso. It may have been a preventative to keep her from ditching him, but as her mind raced, she realized it was a way of showing concern. Respecting her space, but letting her know he was there, ready to break down her walls sooner then she was expecting.

**AN: Review! **


	4. Rush of Emotions

I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: Next chapter! A little on the short side because of how many papers I have to write, but tender little moments. Enjoy and Review! **

TWO DAYS LATER:

They had inched closer and closer to the Otogakure in the couple days of traveling during the day. When night hit, they spent the night in Inns, often sharing the tiny bed in the vicinity. Sakura found his presence near her to be something that made her sleep easy. Shikamaru had been no closer to getting her to open up, but she was growing more at ease by his side. She would fall into step with him as they walked and a couple of times he would find a small smile on her face, her eyes slightly awakened.

She found him to be annoying and lazy like normal, wanting to take breaks to gaze up at the clouds. She had laughed small when he couldn't dodge one of her right hooks. Little by little, he was awakening a part of her that had been buried.

It was late evening when they reached the main village and found an Inn on the outskirts. Sakura was on edge and she unconsciously huddled closer to her teammate. He looked down at her with blank eyes, "Are you alright?"

She glared up, "I'm fine."

She wasn't as observant as he was. She didn't notice the slight tremors in her arms. "You're shaking Sakura."

She wanted to punch him. "I'm fine shadow boy. Leave it."

Shikamaru wouldn't deny that he was steadily growing irritated by her lack of trust or silence. Night after night he would watch her thrash in her sleep, screaming for him to stop. He made sure to have his shadows surround her, soothing her out of her fits. How had no one noticed this? How had everyone turned blind to what she was doing to herself? He gently nudged her. "Tell me. I'm your teammate. You should trust me."

"I don't trust anyone."

He narrowed his eyes at her. No one? Was it because she had no one to confide in? Or because she was afraid? He stopped her in the middle of the road, "What do you mean you don't trust anyone?"

She glared right back at him, "I don't trust anyone Nara. That includes you. Now back the fuck off." She shook his off her and stalked to the Inn. He glared after her, his shadow stopping her in her tracks. She didn't try to move as his shadows held her in place. "Let me go. We can't be using chakra."

"Tell me what the hell your problem is."

"It's not your business."

"It is my business when my own teammate doesn't trust me. I haven't given you any reason not to." His shadows loosened around her as they dragged her back to where he was standing. He grabbed her hand and masked his chakra, "Fuck Sakura, just tell me."

She refused to give him that satisfaction. She ripped her hand out of his grip and turned away to walk to the Inn. He followed her closely, even when they were at the front desk asking for a room. The tension between the two was deafening as they walked to their room and found another tiny bed. Sakura tore off the yukata and slipped into her normal cloths without her flak jacket. Her anger was high. So did he think he was? He didn't have any right to pry into her life. He read her thoughts and set down their packs. "Troublesome woman."

"Shut up. Just go to sleep if you're so pissed off." She laid down on her side and shut her eyes. She felt Shikamaru fall next to her but retain some distance, his aura growing colder with anger. She prayed for no nightmares, instantly hating herself for fighting with him. Sakura later awoke in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. Her eyes sprung open to see the cloth of her partner's shirt. Shikamaru hadn't moved an inch from his spot, but now he was cradling her close to him. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Don't move."

Sakura did as she was told, and kept her body still. Lights flashed in the window as the man next to her laid his head down and pulled her closer to him. Her nose was dug into his chest, and her hands were laying limply next to her head. He smelled good, of sweat and the forest. The lights left the window and the man holding her let out a shaky breath. He moved away from her slightly, "I apologize."

She was sleepy. His scent made her so fatigued. "It's fine. What was it?"

"Sound nin."

She was quiet, and quite surprised at the fear running through her veins. She shouldn't be afraid of other ninja. Shikamaru touched her hip, "No, he wasn't there. Our chakra is heavily masked."

She opened her eyes to see he was staring at her. How did he look so awake? He hadn't slept at all in the five days of this mission. The space between them had been sacrificed due to the size of the bed again. She wasn't uncomfortable with the limited space. The shadow surround her back was soft. "The shadow."

"What about it?"

She quietly chuckled, "You know I won't ditch you right?" He shrugged as if he already knew this fact. "I know."

"Then why?" It caressed the back of her neck. She let out a soft sigh and clutched the pillow closer to her. "It helps you sleep."

She shut her eyes. She was too tired to move. Hadn't she been having a nightmare before she woke up? "How so?" He started to remove his hand off her hip. "You thrashed in your sleep whenever I removed it." He was surprised when her tiny hand darted out and grabbed his hand. Was he imagining things? She shook her head. "Leave it. It's fine where it is."

Had she hit her head in her sleep? Her face moved closer to his chest, "Shikamaru."

He sighed and moved his hand back over her hip. This woman confused him. She could be violent and cold one minute before reverting back to this timid and shy girl. He was slightly happy that she was moving closer to him, but wasn't keeping his hopes up. "Hai?"

Her fingers grabbed the cloth of his shirt, "How do you know when to trust someone?"

What a strange question to ask him. His heart was pounding in his chest as she gripped the cloth tighter. Their earlier argument flooded into his mind. Was she regretting her words? He supposed that his presence was making her doubt her lack of trust in people. But why just his? Why hadn't her team made her doubt her decisions? "It depends on the person."

Her legs curled beneath the blanket. She was vaguely aware of the light strokes his thumb was making on her hip. Silence fell over them as Sakura struggled to stay awake. She didn't want to fall asleep. Sleep brought back the vicious memories. She felt vulnerable in this bed, next to this man. She avoided his eyes, "You haven't slept."

He didn't answer her. He preferred to stay awake. He had slept when she was calm, sated by his shadow. When he was awake, she had some protection whether or not she wanted it. She gripped the material again, "Do you trust me?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Should I have reason not to?"

She found the black cotton to be more interesting then his face. He shouldn't trust her for anything. She didn't trust anyone, let alone herself. How could he work with a person like that? She wanted to push him away, to tell him to return to Konoha. Sakura found herself pulling him closer though. It was a matter of wondering if she took the wrong path. Loneliness was eating her soul alive. She shivered, "I- you shouldn't."

He pulled the blanket over her more. He could read her internal struggle. He felt the shivers coursing through her body. "I'm your friend Sakura…right?"

Was he a friend? What was he to her? She had never really looked closely at Shikamaru to ever wonder this. Most of the people she claimed as friends had disappeared from her life because she was always working, or spent time alone in her apartment. She resulted to being alone because she was sure people wouldn't understand how she felt. "A friend?"

He chuckled lightly, "Do I need to explain to you what a friend is? I'm pretty sure you know what it is." His eyes watched her with intense curiosity, the brown orbs hiding their loving intent.

She frowned. She really didn't anymore. "I…think so?"

He sighed and moved to lay on his back. His arm maneuvered beneath her and flipped her so that her head hit his chest. A furious blush infiltrated her cheeks, as she was pulled flush against his body. She could feel his muscles and skin next to hers. "Shika."

He was surprised. Dragging a nickname from her was like pulling out someone's teeth. It was nigh impossible that someone saw a sliver of her old self. "I haven't heard the nickname from you in a while."

If it was possible, her cheeks grew brighter. Nickname? She shut her eyes and thought back to when she was a child, a teenager. A soft smirk crossed her face. That's right, she had often called him Shika-kun growing up. It had been a long time since she referred to anyone with that honorific. The smirk disappeared off her face. "Has it?"

He only nodded and continued his light stroking. It was the first time in a while that she talked to him like this. Of the times they worked together in the lab, she had been silent and withdrawn. He had wanted to reach out to her, to hold her in his arms. Their group of friends was worried, but they didn't intervene. It'd only chase her away. "It's been 3 years since you called me that."

3 years? Had she been this way for three years? Sakura shut her eyes. She hadn't known. She only felt numb these days. "I'm…I'm sorry."

She was apologizing for that? He would never understand her. "You're apologizing?" It had been an automatic response on her part. Isn't that what someone did when the other person was mad? "Isn't that what you wanted?"

He sighed. He didn't want an apology. He wanted to know what happened to her. He wanted his old friend back. He wanted to know there was a slight chance that maybe he could make her better. "No Sakura, it wasn't what I wanted."

She frowned and clutched his shirt tighter as he tried to move away from her. "No, please…"

His eyes widened slightly at her grip. "You want me to stay?"

She shook her head. His presence made her feel more alive. A feeling she hadn't been in years. "I…Shikamaru…"

"Nani?"

She let out a breath. She wanted to forget it. She wanted to lock everything away and continue what she had been doing for years. Now she couldn't. This damn man wouldn't let her. She froze when his face moved closer to hers; "You're going to keep me in the dark aren't you?"

"Shika-kun…"

His breath stopped. Her hand immediately cupped her mouth, her eyes wide at what she had said. They stared at each other with wide eyes until he gently moved his hands up to hers and pried it away. "Do you trust me?"

Every instinct told her not too. Every piece of training she had received from Anbu told her not too. But the silence coming from him and his comforting touch told her to try. It had been an honest slip from her mouth, but it felt natural to refer to him as that. The Nara stared at her intently. "You're not sure."

It broke her to see the sadness in his eyes. "Hai."

"Because of Anbu? Or because of the reason why you hide from men?"

He was inching closer to her secret. He had to be extra observant to pick up on that. She buried her head into his chest. Trusting him made her world turn upside down. He whispered into her ear, "I'm not like him Sakura."

Frozen, she laid there in his embrace. His comforting, warm arms spread a sense of protection through her. Damn him. She didn't try to push him away. Instead he took the chance to continue to coax her into talking to him. "Whatever he did obviously destroyed your confidence. It's why you hide from us, your friends. You won't even confide in Kakashi or Tsunade. Instead you turn to Anbu to remain silent."

Sakura felt her world crashing. So soon that he could find this out. Every shield was breaking, leaving her heart vulnerable as he ripped his way into her memories. She had no choice but to clutch him tighter as the man she barely knew broke all her insecurities. "What did he do to you Sakura? What monstrosity did he commit to you that you wouldn't even tell Naruto?"

"Stop…don't."

"Sakura Haruno."

She looked up at him finally. His hand neared her face and brushed it gently against her cheek. Clear teardrops landed on his finger. She stared at them quietly, confused that they had come from her own eyes. She hadn't cried since that night. The night he had left her in pain and nearly dead as he had his way, knowing she would do nothing to defend herself. His voice echoed quietly in her ears, the menacing hissing making her clench her eyes shut and grip the man's shirt tighter. Tears spilled from her eyes despite no sobs being wrenched from her throat. "No…"

"Sakura…"

She didn't listen. The night replayed over and over in her mind. She wanted to scream at the vision, to yell at herself to run. Shikamaru finally had to shake her to wake her from her daydream. She stared up at his calm face; her body was twisting and turning in his arms. She broke when his lips lightly ghosted her cheek, "It's okay. I'm here for you."

Every piece of her mind broke and she clutched Shikamaru close to her as she let out her tears. He stared down at her quietly, his heart breaking with every sob she let out. "Is this why you were fighting me earlier?"

She tried to talk between her sobs. "I- I can't."

His voice was coated in anger and venom at her words. How could she continually protect that bastard? "Why are you protecting him?" She shook her head. She wasn't protecting him. She was trying to maintain some sense of dignity. She would be looked down upon if she told anyone. It's why she trusted no one. "I'm not."

He didn't want to plead with her. "Then let me in." Her eyelids were growing heavy. She felt lost. His comforting words made her feel warm, "I'll be there for you. I won't think differently."

"You don't know that."

"You won't know until you tell me. Stop drifting away from us…from me."

Was she dreaming? "From you?"

She heard him let out a sigh. Instead of answering with his words, he held her close. She listened to his heartbeat grow rapid in his chest. In her sleepy state she smiled at the fluttering feeling in her stomach. "You obviously don't know what you do to me."

She sounded sleepy, "Do to you?"

He turned slightly, his lips brushing her forehead. The skin tingled when he pulled away to whisper quietly in her ear, "You're not alone."

She shut her eyes after that, letting his rapids heartbeat lull her to sleep. Instead of his shadow now, it was his arm that held her tightly, keeping the nightmares from entering her mind. She clutched his shirt in her hands, keeping him near. The Nara watched her as she slept. Her rush of emotions had surprised him in a good way. It meant that he was quickly getting to her. He had a hunch of what happened to her, but wouldn't assume anything until he heard the story from her. He would never think differently of her. It wasn't a feasible thought in his mind. Whatever the Uchiha did to her hadn't been her fault like she was led to believe. He would have to make her see that before they returned home.

He brushed her hair, running his fingers through the dyed purple strands. He could feel the Uchiha's dark chakra yards away from them in the village. He wanted nothing more then to wring his neck. He did some heavy damage to the girl in his arms, but he had miscalculated. The damage was repairable. All he had to do was show Sakura how to let go of the past. He could show her what he had been feeling for years. He would keep the nightmares away for her, so long as she would one day smile at him again, and hopefully, open her heart.

**AN: Sorry for the short chapter! Remember to review! **


	5. First Sight

Disclaimer**:** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: I apologize for the late update. I've had a lot of family turmoil these past few weeks and it's been hard to sit down and write. This will be a bit of filler chapter as I start to get back into the groove of things. I've also got a wonderful new beta who will keep me on track! Thank you so much Sugarbiscut! Now, here's the next chapter! Enjoy and review! **

ONE WEEK LATER:

Sakura groaned when the sun hit her face from the opposite window. Shikamaru's arm held her tightly as he slept; his breaths peaceful and even. Sakura stared up at the man quietly, tracing his features with her exhausted eyes. How was he so different? She didn't stop her fingers as she lifted them to his cheek and touched the smooth skin. His mouth twitched, but his eyes remained shut. Sakura carefully touched his hair, removing the band that held it up into a ponytail. His hair tumbled down, its strands soft and silky. She continued to trace to her heart's content, feeling her body relax. A week of silence from Shikamaru had been rather unpleasant, as she had grown used to his lazy, sarcastic quips.

"Having fun?"

Sakura jerked back, seeing Shikamaru's eyes open. A soft smile crossed his face at her frightened expression. "Continue…that felt good."

"Na-nani?"

He shut his eyes again and flexed his arm around her. "You slept better I hope?"

She had no more nightmares after their discussion the night before. It was a solace she had been searching for on nights when she would wake up screaming, breaking the furniture around her. "Hai."

"We should get up and start our observations today. We've spent a week patrolling the outside of the village. Tsunade-sama has given us enough for our stay here during the six months. Are you alright with that?"

"Why are you asking?"

He rolled his eyes, "I told you, we work together during this mission. Were you not listening?" Sakura went quiet and nodded. Her usual silent resentment wasn't radiating from her. Instead, she was quiet as if she was scared, or regretful. This intrigued the genius next to her. He turned on his side, making her gasp when their faces were inches apart. "No hissing and insults yet…I must be doing alright in your eyes."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You have no i-"

"I do, sweetheart. When will you just admit that you think of me as your friend again?"

Shikamaru was rather annoying this early in the morning. However annoying he was though, Sakura found it to be refreshing. He reminded her of Naruto's insanity in the morning whenever he didn't have his daily dose of ramen. A tiny smile crossed her face, "A friend huh? What exactly is a friend to you Shika-kun?"

He smirked at her, "Someone who can entertain me, rebuke me, make me laugh," he brushed the purple strands from her eyes, "Is incredibly gorgeous…"

Sakura blushed, "What's more than a friend to you then?"

"Troublesome woman, I don't kiss and tell."

She slapped his chest as a grimace crossed her face. The Nara laughed next to her quietly, "Why do you want to know?"

She stared at his incredibly handsome face. She had never looked so closely at him before. Her icy heart fluttered inside her chest. Her body tingled, "We-well…I-I was just curious…"

"And I thought Hinata was the only one who stuttered. What has you so flustered?"

She stared blankly at him. It was him. The one she was starting to feel comfortable with. Why hadn't she confided in him sooner? Before she had the chance to respond, he sat up. His hair tumbled down to his shoulders and had Sakura staring stupidly at him. Did he know how sexy he looked with his hair down like that? She watched him stand and walk to the adjoined bathroom. She laid on the bed, watching the door. Where were these emotions coming from? How could something as simple as his touch affect her? She was so lost in her thoughts when Shikamaru emerged from the bathroom.

"Shall we? We can do a few hours today before comparing notes."

"You take notes on your mission?"

He shrugged. "It's easier to turn in after the mission." Why the hell hadn't she thought of that? She stood from the bed, shaking her messy purple hair.

Shikamaru frowned at her, "Pink hair looks better on you."

She snorted, "And I suppose you like it better short too?"

He shrugged his shoulders at her. "I could care less. Do what you want with it. Pink hair is just you though. It suits you."

Sakura involuntarily blushed. How could she respond to that? She turned away, trying to scowl to rid her face of her blush, "Thank you."

He smirked and walked to her side. He performed a few hand-signs that masked his chakra. "Shall we?" Sakura nodded and let him lace his fingers through hers. They took slow strides out the door with their packs on their backs before slipping through a side exit. The teammates walked through the open gate with blank looks on their faces, dashing into the first café they found. After finding seats, Shikamaru ordered some drinks and took out a notebook. Sakura stared blankly down at the table, feeling out of the ordinary. She could feel Sasuke's dark chakra. It wasn't easy to avoid. The aura made her want to choke and her rising resentment was back. She glared at the notebook as Shikamaru wrote, "What could you possibly be taking notes on?"

He stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. Sakura watched him puff out of the smoke before continuing to write in the journal. "The village," he answered.

Sakura sipped at her tea silently, her eyes darting up every now and again to stare at her teammate. He was smirking as he put out his cigarette. "Do you find my face amusing?"

Sakura kept her mouth shut and refused to answer. The man across from her shrugged and set down his tea before tapping his pencil on the paper in front of him. The girl sitting across from him made it hard for him to concentrate on his notes. He didn't understand her. This petite medic-nin hated people and could kill someone with a flex of her muscles, but around him she seemed more vulnerable, more open than she was with her own team. He knew he could be reading too much into her actions, but he believed it to be true. If she hated him like she led everyone to believe, she would've ditched him the first night in the forest. A small smirk crossed his face, "Enigma."

"Pardon?"

He looked up to see her tightly clutching her tea in her hands. Her face was blank as usual, but her eyes were guarded, as if they were hiding a secret. Shikamaru just shook his head and sighed, "You're an enigma Sakura."

Her face remained blank, but she raised an eyebrow. How could she be an enigma? "How so?"

"You act cold, but you really aren't. It's fascinating to watch your emotions."

She sat there in silence. She had aimed to have no emotions. That was her goal as a ninja. The way Shikamaru's eyes watched her made her swallow and shake her head, "Ninja aren't supposed to have emotions."

"Where would you get a stupid idea like that?" All she had to do was flick her eyes out into the road before turning her attention to his face. The Nara only rolled his eyes, "Not only are you an enigma, but you're fairly obtuse."

Sakura only glared at the man. She wasn't obtuse and she wasn't difficult to understand…was she?

Damn him for making her doubt herself. The week they had spent in the sound was rather professional. He kept to himself, speaking to her only about the mission and keeping his distance after her rather emotional night a week prior. It confused her that he wasn't pushing her, but at the same time she was rather grateful. He was a gentleman and for that reason deserved some respect from her. It was getting hard to be cold to him. A scowl crossed her face, "Shut up Shikamaru."

He did as he was told and went back to his observations, jotting down notes here and there as he continued to watch the road. The villagers were quiet as they walked the street, barely taking notice of the two sitting at the table. The two shinobi were fairly aware of the dark chakra seeping through the streets, almost a tangible object ready to choke them. After her third cup of tea Sakura sighed, "Can we go back to the room?"

He looked up at her before slightly tilting his head, "Why?

The chakra was suffocating her. She hadn't felt it in three years and it was a feeling she wanted to forget. It came to her in dreams, scaring her into a night of screaming for her life. She shut her eyes and stood, "Let's go."

She moved to walk away before Shikamaru hauled her back into a seat closer to him and engulfed her tightly. She narrowed her eyes and moved to shove him away, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Shut up."

He squeezed her side and shifted his head to the left. Her eyes followed the way his head was turning before freezing in her spot. No wonder the chakra had been suffocating. It was right in the middle of the street! It looked as if he was floating as he strolled down the road, with his glowing red eyes and spiky black hair. The ever-present frown was set into his face, glaring at any oncoming villager. She felt paralyzed as she watched his graceful posture, his hand gripping the hilt of kusanagi. Two of his team followed behind him, their conversation bright. She recognized the redheaded woman from years ago, as she was latched to the Uchiha's side.

Sakura expected to feel nothing as she had been trained to do. She was quite surprised when she felt a slight amount of fear running through her veins. She shouldn't be fearful of that bastard. How could her body shake at the mere sight of him? She had killed time and time again, but never felt an emotion like this. It hit her that she may not be ready for something like this. Facing him alone would only drive her to the brink of insanity and undeniable fear. The man holding onto her however overran that fear. He moved his mouth to her ear, "Lower your eyes. Now."

She did as she was told; avoiding the glance the Uchiha was sending their way. She was grateful that the Nara was there. Shikamaru watched the four from the road, gritting his teeth at the way the Uchiha had stopped and was staring at them rather intently. Their chakra was masked, and no leaf symbols were present. He felt his body sag with relief when the redheaded woman pulled the man along the road, faintly distracting his attention for a moment.

Shikamaru held Sakura tightly in his arms as he stood and looked for an opposite exit. Carefully keeping their faces hidden from view, two slipped out a side door and rushed back to the inn they were staying at. It wasn't until they were back in their room that they both let out a sigh and flopped down on the bed.

Shikamaru turned to his teammate and was surprised to find her slightly trembling. Her hands were clenched into fists and they rested on her thighs. He could barely see her eyes, but he could hear the distinct growl from her mouth. "Sakura?"

"Dammit," she said. Sakura bowed forward, her hands coming up to rest on her forehead. How could she still be so fearful of him? She had trained to push all of her feelings for him out of her mind. How could he still have such control over her after all these years?

Shikamaru watched her with blank eyes. He could see the pain written all over her face despite how hard she tried to hide it. Who was she kidding? She wasn't around her team or her teacher anymore. She didn't have to pretend to be this way in front of him.

He carefully extended a hand to her, "Sakura."

She didn't answer; too busy cussing under her breath to notice that he was slowly moving towards her. Her eyes widened when he tugged her from her spot and into his side. He didn't dare look at her, fearful that too much would push her away. His hand traced the material of her long sleeved shirt gently. "You don't have to hide it."

She was still next to him. How is it that he could see right through her? Why the hell did he care so much? She growled, "Let me go."

He didn't move. Instead he pulled her closer to him until her head hit his chest, "This is why you have a teammate Sakura." He paused, curious to see if she would respond. Her sudden intake of breath told him to continue. "I don't know what he did to you, but I will make you believe me when I say that I won't hurt you like he did."

A silent tear fell from her eye. This brilliant man knew nothing about her, but was willing to push past it to connect with her. She shut her eyes as he pulled her onto the bed and made her lay down. His shadows pulled the blanket over her as he pulled her close again. She didn't know how to feel. She was slightly grateful that he had been there when she saw the Uchiha. She also felt angry that he was so adamant on figuring out her past. She pushed herself away from him, "Just what the hell do you want from me?" He didn't try to move her back, "I want to see you smile again."

"I do so smile."

He sat up and smirked at her, "Do you now? Go ahead, smile then." Sakura sat up and faced the smirking man. She glared at him, doing her best to try and smile. Shikamaru reached forward and let his forehead lean against hers; "You aren't smiling…"

Her eyes widened at the lack of space. A blush invaded her cheeks and she internally panicked. "Wha-what?"

The Nara didn't move. He continued to look into her confused jade eyes and couldn't hold back a smirk. He lifted his hand to her cheek and touched the skin. Sakura couldn't help but flinch under his touch. "Sakura…"

"Shikamaru, why…why do you care?"

He wanted to tell her why. He wanted to tell her every thought he had about her. Every night for the past three years he had gone to bed thinking of her, dreaming of her. Shikamaru had known for a long time that he wanted the girl in front of him. She was no longer a little girl pining for the lost Uchiha. She had grown to be a beautiful woman, deserving of a man who could return her love.

He frowned at her, continuing to relish in the feeling of her skin. He cared…because he loved her. How could he tell her when she was so closed off like this? How could he break her shell without destroying her trust completely? A soft sigh left his mouth, "Because I do alright? Now calm down before your chakra spikes."

Sakura was quiet as she looked into his eyes. He was good at hiding his emotions, much better then she was. But she was confused. One thing the Nara hadn't hid was a sparkle of…was it lust? Sincerity? Love? She didn't know. The thing she did know was that she trusted him and he calmed her chakra down.

She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso and let him fall back on the bed. Just as she had grown accustomed to, his arm holding her waist relaxed her body as she drifted off into sleep, the fear of seeing her long lost love replaced with the anxious fluttering of her heart.

WITH SASUKE:

The Uchiha stood at his window of the Oto tower, his stone cold gaze concentrated on the gates of the village. His senses were tingling as his sharingan blazed. Masking the chakra could only do so well for shinobi. The two leaf nin should've known that when they were assigned this mission.

However, he had been rather surprised to see the green and purple chakra of his former teammate and the lead strategist of Konoha sitting right outside his gate. He concentrated on the green chakra, a small smirk on his face. She had saved him the trouble of going after her himself. His reign as Otokage wasn't complete if he couldn't restore his clan, and the woman waiting outside the village had slipped away from him three years ago.

He wouldn't allow her to slip away this time. His eyes narrowed and a small chuckle left his mouth. He'd break her again, shattering her spirit and her heart for good.

**AN: Ehh, review!**


	6. The Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

_Thanks Sugarbiscut for beta editing! _

**AN: Sorry for the long update. Here's the next chapter! For some reason, I listened to: If it means a lot to you by A Day To Remember while I was writing this. So, if you would like a song to listen to, listen to that! And to be honest, I'm not sure where this chapter came from, but I just wrote so I hope you enjoy!**

**ANN: I took this down to reedit. I hope i got everything, but let me know if i didn't! **

TWO DAYS LATER:

Shikamaru laid on the bed, holding his teammate in his arms. He watched her lightly sleep, soothed by the arm holding her waist. He wondered what type of dreams she was having, as little whimpers left her mouth and she kicked in her sleep. She must've known he was holding her because she wasn't crying like she usually was.

They had avoided going back into the village since they saw the Uchiha two days prior. His teammate had seemed on edge of course, but he had been unable to figure out why. It was starting to irritate him by how much he couldn't figure out what had changed. His only clues were that it had been after the war and it had happened at the valley of death. It had been the last time anyone had seen Sasuke Uchiha. But it had also been the day Naruto had brought her home in cuts and bruises and her spirit crushed. She had enrolled in Anbu later that week, her fiery personality gone and a hardened soul encasing her heart.

He wiped away a lone tear rolling down her cheek with a sigh. It had been years since he could barely dream without her pink hair invading his mind. He had fallen for this girl during the great ninja war, and now when he had his chance to finally make her see that she wasn't alone, this happens. He hadn't planned on something so tragic happening to her. Then again, he should have expected it. No one goes from happy to sad just overnight. He frowned when she dug her head into his chest and clutched his flak jacket. It was barely four in the morning, and he was running low on sleep. He knew he should shut his eyes and try to relax, but his body refused to give into his demands. He held Sakura tight and put his head in the crook of her neck.

"You and your stubbornness."

Sakura didn't move. Her breathing evened out as his hot breath gently hit the shell of her ear. Shikamaru shut his eyes, knowing this would be the closest he would be able to get to her. Whatever happened had broken her so greatly. His fingers entangled themselves in her long silky hair. He was speaking more to himself now then he was to her. "You're absolutely breathtaking Sakura...have you never been told that? Has no one held you like this?"

Sakura faintly opened her sleep ridden eyes to find herself drowning in Shikamaru's scent. He smelled of the woods and faint smoke. She inhaled and held his vest tighter. His voice drifted into her ear softly. Sakura wondered who he was talking to. The Nara gently tugged her hair, "I can't believe how lucky I am to be holding you. Troublesome woman...why can't you just open your damn eyes?"

Sakura listened to his words, his breathing. Never had she felt like this. Never had she wanted to hold a man tighter and never let go. Her voice was raspy as she yawned. "Shika?"

He didn't move from his spot. "You're peaceful when you sleep next to me. I wish you would just see what we could be." Shikamaru hadn't realized she was waking up. His vision was flooded with her crystal clear jade eyes. He wanted her to know how he felt, how he wished for more than just friendship with her. His lips touched the shell of her ear gently. Sakura's eyes sprang open and she gasped at the feeling. The Nara immediately froze. She was awake? Had she heard him talk? Sakura moved to look into her teammates eyes. Did he mean it? Shikamaru was panicking quietly, sure that he had succeeded in pushing the woman even further away from him. He waited for the yelling, the screaming, and the insults. Silence was the only thing that met him. The girl in his arms looked shocked as she held his gaze.

He acted on instinct and closed the distance between them. His lips met hers in a soft, curious kiss. He shut his eyes, knowing that this may be his only chance. The kiss had been everything the brilliant strategist had thought it would be. He had known they would be soft and full against his.

If it was possible, Sakura was in even more shock. Was he really kissing her? Her eyes remained open as she watched then man continue to massage her lips with gentle force. She felt her insides tightening, a burning fire coursing through her veins. Did she want to respond? Shouldn't she push him away? Wasn't this how it started with Sasuke? Her mind told her to pull away but it was her heart that made her eyes shut and grasp him harder. The Nara was the first to pull away, gasping for breath. He choked when Sakura pulled his face close and glared, "What you said..."

What he said? So she did hear him talking. His usual bored look crossed his face, "What about what I said?"

Sakura found herself falling short of her anger. Her hands slipped away from his face as her eyes portrayed the confusion running through her mind. He wanted more…with her? Why would anyone want something more with her? Weren't the men in her village repulsed by her mere presence? She gently shook her head knowing her thoughts were wrong. No one thought this because she hadn't told anyone what happened. Her head bowed and she looked away from the man near her face. It was no doubt that Shikamaru was indeed a handsome and intelligent man. But he also belonged to a powerful clan. There was just no way she would ever have a shot with him. And even if she had a shot with him, who said she wanted it? His big brown eyes caught hers as he grabbed her hand, "Sakura?"

"You…why? Why me?"

She was now just getting to that conclusion? He sighed, "Why not you?"

"How…could you want more with me?"

Shikamaru's head fell back against the pillow. He groaned and held his forehead, "For a violent kunoichi you have no confidence do you?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, I believe you're the one who has that backwards." He sat up and pulled her with him. They sat facing each other and Shikamaru glared at his teammate with clouded eyes. "Now, let's play catch up. What exactly don't you understand about my simple words?"

She shut her jade eyes in exasperation. She understood perfectly. He wanted something more. Her question was why? Why her? Why now of all times? She grabbed at the purple strands falling over her forehead. She could see faint strands of pink already starting to show through. Through clenched teeth, she shoved out her words. "Why me Nara? Why can't you see-"

"Shut up Sakura. No more excuses. You're going to understand right now just what I want."

Her mouth hung open slightly as she stared at him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. "You're making this such a drag. What happened to the Sakura who didn't hide from people? You act tough, but I see past your façade. The Uchiha hurt you. I get that. But don't put me in the same spot as him."

She listened to his heart skip a beat in his chest. He didn't bother to wait for an answer. "I in no way want to hurt you. I mean it when I say when I want something more." She chuckled, "How do I know you're not lying just to get somewhere with me?"

He shoved her away slightly before pulling her back to his face. His shadows held her tight as his hand held her chin. He looked angry, angry that she would ever think something like that. She glared right back, "I know you get around Shikamaru, you're not exactly a pure person."

He snarled at her, "And you're telling me you've never been with a man Sakura? You've never had sex?"

Her face faltered. A tear dropped from her eye angrily. Her memories flooded into her head and she shut her eyes. Shikamaru knew he hit a nerve. His shoulders slumped as he let go of her chin. She slumped forward, hitting his shoulder, "Shikamaru…"

He wrapped an arm around her back. He was slowly putting the pieces together. "Don't tell me the bastard did what I think he did."

Her silence was his answer. His grip tightened. If he ever got hold of the Uchiha, he'd kill him for his careless mistake. How could he violate his own teammate? How could he destroy her spirit like that? "Tell me Sakura or I'll draw my own conclusions."

The girl sighed, "It…happened the day he and Naruto were fighting."

"After the war?"

She nodded. She couldn't bear to look at him. This was her mistake. As much as she hated to think about it, maybe it was time to let someone else know what happened. She looked down at her lap; "I found the two, laying opposite of each other, nearly dead. I healed Naruto first, and he was unconscious by the time I got to Sasuke. I almost depleted my chakra when I finished healing his major wounds."

Shikamaru could picture it in his mind. That day had been rather gloomy as the fighting ended. Kakashi had panicked when he saw the two had disappeared from the battlefield. Sakura sucked in breath, "I can't…" It hurt to remember. It had been painful. His blank red eyes staring down at her as he took advantage of her weakened state. Tears filled her eyes. "It hurt Shikamaru. It hurt so much."

It grew silent in the room as tears dripped from Sakura's eyes. The shadows loosened and eventually disappeared from her sides. She looked up into the Nara's eyes. "He took something from me I will never get back."

It was a heavy tension as he held her. He had suspected that her own teammate had violated her. To find he took her innocence forcefully made his blood boil. He remembered how terrible the wounds and bruises had looked when Naruto carried her home. It put everything into perspective. He grabbed a strand of her hair, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

It took her a while to answer, and her tone was defensive, "Everyone would look at me repulsively. Do you think I'd be allowed into the village again?" He rolled his eyes. This woman would drive him nuts. How could she think such things? "Woman, you're stupid."

"Huh?"

His clouded eyes grew darker. No one, and he knew no one would ever think differently of her. It hadn't been her choice. If she could go back, she'd probably fix her mistake of healing the Uchiha. "Don't you fucking dare think you're at fault."

"I could barely put up a fight."

"Baka, I don't care. It happened yes, but you cannot keep harping on this. If you let it, it will destroy you."

"I deserve it."

"Fuck Sakura! Stop! Why the hell can't you see you're worth more then that! If Tsunade knew this is why you put yourself through hell she would've helped you! Your team would be pissed to know that this had happened and you kept it quiet!"

She wiped at her tears angrily. What did he know? He didn't know what it was like to feel repulsed by her identity. He didn't understand how it felt to be lying there in pain, crying out for him to stop hurting her. She had felt so weak. Just like she always was, she was weak. "I was weak."

Sakura shut up when he pushed her down on the bed and pinned her down by her shoulders. His face was contorted in absolute anger and a growl rumbled in his chest, "You are not weak. Confiding your pain to someone does not make you weak."

Before she could give him another useless excuse, her lips met hers harshly. He held the side of her neck, rubbing the soft skin as his tongue brushed against her lips. Sakura had met him back just as forcefully, pushing against his lips and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. She pulled away only to feel his lips on her cheeks, her neck, and the shell of her ear. He whispered with a deep baritone voice, "I don't give a fuck about what happened."

Her eyes sprang open and her hands went limp. He didn't care? "You don't?"

"For Christ's sake Sakura. No. I don't fucking care. As far as I'm concerned, we both had shitty pasts. Do you care about mine? Do you find yourself wondering why I've been begging you to tell me what happened?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. The man grabbed at his forehead, irritation in his eyes. "This is so troublesome. Here I thought it would be easy to read. Sakura, I want more with you. I wouldn't be going through all this trouble of trying to help if I didn't care about you."

She could see the exhaustion in his face. The sun was starting to rise in the sky and a morning mist had settled on the grass outside. Sakura knew they would have to get up and do some notes today. She also knew that she would find herself clinging to the man currently trying to keep his sleepy eyes open as his anger subsided. He held her cheek, "I know it's hard to trust. I understand it. But Sakura, you're not alone. You never have been. I won't hurt you."

She let him pull her back on the bed. She felt defeated and vulnerable as she gazed at his strong jaw and smooth skin. It had nearly broken her to simply tell him what had occurred those years ago. "Shika?"

He opened an eye, "Yes?"

"What happens now? I've told you. You're probably going to report me when we get back to Konoha."

A smirk crossed his face, "I doubt Tsunade would pull you from Anbu. She'll get you the help you need and I'll be there every step of the way."

Her voice was flat. "You have a life. You shouldn't care."

"If it involves you, I care." He wanted to heal her, to show her that there was more to life then what she thought. He wanted to protect her and love her. "As for your question. What happens now? Starting now Sakura, I'll never leave your side."

His words slightly confused her, "Never leave my side?"

He shut his eyes and placed a simple kiss on her temple. He was glad she let him, and pulled her close to him. "Glad you caught up. Yes, call it what you will, but you're not going anywhere."

She couldn't help the small smile on her face. She felt she could trust him. "Promise?"

"You can trust me."

She felt herself shutting her eyes, her body relaxed. His words soothed her, comforted her. With him, she could let go of the hostility and anger. She could vent, pout and cry about her past and he wouldn't look at her in disgust. He would only pull her closer and tell her she wasn't alone. She grabbed his hand, and laced her fingers with his. "Shika-kun?"

He smiled at the feel of her tiny fingers. "Yes Sakura?"

"Thank you."

**AN: Review! **


	7. On The Run

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! The plot for this story is mine!

**AN: Sorry for such a long update! Here's the next chapter!**

It was warm when she woke a few hours later. The sun was shining through the windows as Sakura yawned and moved her head. She instantly blushed when she saw she had been sleeping on Shikamaru's bare chest while he had his arms wrapped around her. How long had she been laying like that? Sakura glared at the lazy ninja, trying to do everything in her power to scowl at how comfortable he seemed. His fingers twitched every now and then on her hip and scratched the surface of her skin. His breath hit her neck as he drew her closer to him.

Sakura angled her head to look at her teammate, still somewhat boggled by their conversation the night before. He wanted something more with her. She should have known that Shikamaru was much more forgiving then he seemed. It made her body tingle to know that he felt something beyond friendship with her. Her blush increased when she thought of his lips on her and how intense his kiss was. Sakura sighed. How could he kiss her? They were on a mission at the moment! What if they had been attacked? She would've never forgiven herself if something happened to her teammate on this mission. It was strictly for this reason why she always worked alone.

This man was a fool for caring about her. But she couldn't deny that that it felt nice to have someone care so much to push her to open up. She froze when he moved and shifted their bodies so that they were now lying on their sides. She smiled when his eyes fluttered open and looked at her. "I knew I'd get you to smile sooner or later."

Sakura sat up in the bed and stretched out her arms, "We should get going and do some notes today Shika-kun."

"No insults?"

Sakura turned to look at him. His eyes looked confused, but he was still smirking at her. His hair tumbled down to his shoulders and she found herself having trouble breathing as she looked at his toned chest. She shut her mouth and shook her head. "No…no insults."

Shikamaru was slightly shocked as he watched the woman go to the window and open the glass to let the summer air flow through. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her figure as she stood in the midst of the sunlight. He couldn't believe she wasn't spitting fire at him for touching her. Was he finally getting through to her? Sakura didn't move from the window as she listened to the man sit up on the bed and stalk towards her.

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist, sighing with relief when she leaned her back into his chest. They were silent as they gazed at the outdoors and ignored the deathly chakra coming from their north. Sakura grabbed one of Shikamaru's hands with her tiny one and squeezed, "You really confuse me Shika-kun."

"How so?"

She chuckled, "You say you do not wish to bother with troublesome things, yet you bother with me constantly."

"You aren't a troublesome thing Sakura."

"Says you."

He shook his head and laid a small kiss to her temple. She gasped at the tough and drew her head back to look into his eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"I felt like it. Do you have a problem?"

Sakura shut her mouth once again and sighed. "You'll be the death of me Shikamaru."

He kissed her temple in return and let his arms drop from her sides. He turned to grab his pack and find his civilian clothes to wear. Sakura watched him carefully, "I think you should leave your hair down."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "What's the point of that?"

She walked towards him and grabbed some of the brown silky strands. "We're undercover aren't we?"

"I think you just like my hair down."

Sakura blushed when he pulled her flush against his body, his bare chest pressed against hers. Her eyes widened when he dropped his mouth to her ear, "Since you're the only one who will get to see it down, I'll do it just for you."

He kissed her cheek and released her to grab his shirt. Sakura stood there holding her cheek as the blush on her face intensified. She did not have time to respond when a hawk flew in through the window with a message attached to its back. Shikamaru looked at the brown hawk, "It's from Konoha."

Sakura unraveled the small bag and retrieved the scroll resting inside. As she buckled the bag once more the hawk took off and flew out the window to the south. The pinkette walked to the bed with the scroll unraveled. "Our mission orders have changed."

He raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

She shrugged at him. "Who knows, it's Tsunade-Shishou." The two knelt on the bed and looked over the chicken-scratch writing from the Hokage.

Sakura, Shikamaru,

Your mission orders have slightly changed. By order of the Allied Shinobi Forces, the daimyo of the Land of Sound is to be taken out before the removal of the Otokage. This is to begin immediately upon reading of this message.

Work together and make the assassination in the shadows. Send word once the removal has been completed. An extra team will be sent to be your backup upon return to Hidden Sound Village.

This mission is S rank and should not be taken lightly. Jounin uniforms are acceptable. Good Luck,

_Godaime Hokage_

_Godaime Kazekage_

_Godaime Mizukage_

_Yondaime Raikage_

_Sandaime Tsuchikage_

Shikamaru scratched his head. They had to remove the daimyo of the land of sound? Why them? He saw a tiny smirk spread on his teammate's face. "Don't tell me you're actually excited about this."

The girl tried not to laugh. She was excited, if only for the reason of actually doing some work on this mission besides reconnaissance on Sasuke. "Why shouldn't I be? Tsunade-shishou knows how I work."

Shikamaru groaned as the woman trailed to her pack and removed her flak jacket. Her teammate moved to retrieve his as they dressed in silence. Shikamaru looked out at the morning sun, "We should wait until its dark to leave."

"Why? We just won't wear our hi-ate's through the forest. We have to head south anyway."

"It'd be smarter."

Sakura huffed at her teammate. She knew it was smarter to wait until nightfall. "So what do we do? Just wait in the room all day?"

"We can pin down our battle strategy while we wait and down one more sweep of the village."

The pinkette pouted but moved to the bed to sit with the Nara genius and wait out the day. "I guess they call you the smartest person in the land of fire for a reason. So enlighten me, what's our plan?"

The two sat on the bed for hours, hashing out their battle plans. Sakura argued about Shikamaru coming in during the assassination. All he had to do was subtly distract her for her to agree to let him protect her. "You realize how useful I am right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes when he tugged her down on the bed and hugged her. She still wondered why she felt comfortable letting him touch her when she hissed at everyone else who came near her. Shikamaru dug her face into her purple hair. "I can hear you thinking."

"What?"

He chuckled and kissed the strands. "We should observe the village once more before we go."

Sakura nodded, "We should split up this time if we're just doing a general sweep."

The man looked as if he were about to argue with her but kept his mouth shut at the scowl plastered on her face. He sighed, "Fine."

She smiled and grabbed her pack as he grabbed his and followed her out to the front desk. The same elderly lady glared at them as they paid for the cost of their rented room. They made their way out onto the dusty trail as the sun was starting to set. Shikamaru held her hand, "We meet back here in a half hour. No longer."

"You're such a worrywart."

He opened his mouth to retort when Sakura moved to stand on the tips of her toes and kissed him lightly on the jaw. "I swear no longer."

He stood there and watched her as she took off to the left of the village, staying hidden within the shadows. A faint smile crossed his lips before he took off.

Sakura wasn't sure what exactly was happening to her. She wasn't used to the giddy feeling within her stomach or how handsome he looked when he blushed at her. All she knew was that she liked it. Her thoughts were preoccupying her head as she checked the forest ground, keeping an eye on the village at the same time. She breathed easy as the sun slid down the sky, casting her shadow on the ground.

As she adjusted her pack she spoke, "I know you're there."

A dark shadow hid itself behind a tree. Sakura reached for her katana and withdrew it. The blade shined in the dwindling sunlight as she let it hang from her hand. "There's really no point in hiding when I know you want to talk."

She froze when the shadow stood behind her, a hand reaching for the one that held the blade. "Is there a reason for this?"

"You know full well why I have this."

She could almost hear him smirk. The hand gripped her wrist and his other hand came to engulf her waist. "There's no reason to hate me."

Sakura stood as still as she could, despite feeling the urge to vomit at the arms around her. "I have every reason to hate you." She thrust her elbow back into the man's stomach and twisted her wrist backwards. He jumped away before the blade pierced him. Sakura turned to see Sasuke standing a few feet away from her now. A small arrogant smirk graced his face as he stared at his ex-teammate. Sakura schooled her face to appear blank as she gripped her sword. "Uchiha."

"What? No Sasuke-kun?"

She didn't reply. Sasuke sighed and drew his own blade. "You've been watching my village for a long time now." She only raised an eyebrow at him. His smirk grew wider, "You and Shadow boy huh?"

A small ball curled in Sakura's stomach. She could hardly care if Sasuke did something to her. But she didn't understand why she felt concern for Shikamaru. She didn't need to worry about him. She narrowed her eyes at him, "What of it?"

"You forget who you belong to Sakura."

"I belong to no one."

It appeared that he loved a challenge. He lunged at her, expecting to catch her off guard. Sakura raised her own blade and matched his blow. The two stood locked, pushing each other back. His eyes grew crimson, "I do not like to share."

She tapped into her chakra and pushed him back, swiping at him. She caught his cheek with her blade as he jumped away. "I'm not yours to share Uchiha."

"So you belong to Shadow boy now?"

He was trying to bait her. She knew this and she took it as a challenge. "What if I do?"

"He'll be killed."

She could see through his threat. He didn't understand that she wasn't a naïve little girl anymore. "You couldn't kill him. You underestimate why the Hokage put him on this mission." He wiped away the blood on his cheek. He sneered at it before turning it to Sakura. "I don't like to be mocked Sakura."

Sakura sheathed her blade, "Then don't be so easy to mock Uchiha."

"You cannot kill me."

Her smirk matched his. "That's what you think."

He approached her slowly with long graceful strides. He sheathed his blade and grabbed her wrist, "I've missed you Sakura."

She found that hard to believe. He probably missed the terror he brought her that night. She wasn't surprised when she looked down to see a shadow trailing across the forest floor to lock onto the Uchiha's. Sasuke gripped her wrist, gritting his teeth as he struggled with the bound. She felt as if a breath of fresh air had hit her as her teammate retreated from his spot behind a tree. "You may as well take him out right now."

She ripped her grip from Sasuke's and moved to Shikamaru's side. She reached for his hand, "What fun would that be?"

She could see his shoulders trembling. She wanted him begging for mercy when she killed him. Shikamaru squeezed her hand, "Do it now. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home."

She raised an eyebrow at him. He only smirked at her and released her hand. She unsheathed her blade and went to where Sasuke stood frozen by Shikamaru's shadow. He glared at her as she stood in front of him. "Any last words?"

"Your bloody pathetic village won't be able to take you back home after I'm through with you."

The two Konoha shinobi pondered over the words before Sakura rested the blade against his neck. She smirked as she tapped into her chakra and pushed the blade through the skin. His head rolled off to the ground and the body fell limp onto the forest floor. Shikamaru frowned, "He didn't fight back."

Sakura sheathed her blade and watched the body. It didn't feel right. It felt too easy. She cussed when the body flattened into tiny miniature snakes and slid along the ground. "It was a stupid clone." Shikamaru looked up when he heard yelling coming from the north. "Shit!" He raced for his teammate's hand and grabbed it, pulling her along behind him. She sensed the immediate danger and poured her chakra into her feet so that she could keep pace with Shikamaru. The two raced with each other into the trees, each coming up with battle plans as the sounds of hundreds of sound ninja flew their way.

The two leapt to the ground when they reached a large river. "What the hell are we going to do?"

Shikamaru looked around before spotting a cave in the distance. He grabbed her hand and ran as his eyes stayed focused on the cave. He tossed the two of them in there and masked their chakra as the sound ninja flew by, yelling and pointing to the southern border of the forest. Shikamaru huddled over Sakura, his eyes watching and calculating how many ninja they had on their tail. Sakura clutched his flak jacket and watched with him as they tried to be still. "Well dammit…"

"We'll have to stay here until we're sure they've all left."

She nodded her agreement. Two versus one hundred shinobi was a recipe for disaster. Shikamaru didn't look at her. "You told him we were together." Sakura ran over her conversation with Sasuke and cringed. She had told him that. "So?"

Her reaction didn't surprise Shikamaru in the slightest. He cursed her for being so casual. Why couldn't she just admit that she had some sort of feelings for him? Why did he consistently have to drag it out of her? The two listened to the rustling wind before Sakura traced his hand, "You wanted to hear something different?"

He was quiet. Sakura already knew that he wanted to hear her confirm something about their confusing relationship. "Shika…I-"

"Are you still in love with him?"

Her mouth dropped, "Excuse me?"

"You hesitated to kill him."

She grabbed his jaw and turned his eyes to her. "First off Nara, don't ever make an assumption like that again. He used to be my teammate."

"He raped you Sakura and nearly left you dead. I don't give a shit if he's an old teammate."

She squeezed his jaw, "Shut up you annoying idiot! You don't know how I feel! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Maybe it would shut me up if you told me how you felt."

Sakura's mouth formed into a straight line. He smirked at her and instead of making her angry, it made her stomach flutter and tighten up into a mixed ball of confusion. She didn't know how she felt anymore. She was in uncharted waters now. She released the tension from her shoulders and sighed, "I…don't know."

"You don't know about me?"

She didn't know how to get the words out to him. How could she tell him that while she respected him as a teammate she was totally confused on the subject of love? She cared for this man, but was it love? He could sense her confusion and removed her hand from his jaw. "Explain your emotions."

She bit her lip as she struggled for the words. "I feel confused of course…but I feel some sense of warmth towards you. Seeing you appear in the forest gave me a sense of relief. I was thankful you were there."

"I was there the entire time."

She wasn't surprised by that. He was protective of her and she found that it was a welcoming sensation. "I know."

"You aren't angry."

She shook her head and relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sorry…I'm not as open as I used to be."

She waited for the snide remark or short retort to come. It never came. Shikamaru only pulled her closer, "You're opening up just fine Sakura."

"You love me."

He nodded. "I don't expect you to say it back Sakura. I do expect you to remember that though."

It made her body tingle to know that he loved her. Despite his annoying attitude and lazy nature, he was a good man, one that she could see a future with if she ever got past being so uptight and cold. "What happens when we get home? You'll probably go back to-"

His finger caught her lips, "I'll do whatever you want Sakura."

She sighed, "Your parents would never accept me Shikamaru. Not after what's happened."

"Leave my family out of this for the moment and focus on you. I could hardly care about what they'll say." She focused on his calloused hands stroking her hair as he watched the entrance of the cave, ready to fight off any intruders. She felt her heart snap at his next words. "You need to let go of the past and admit that you're better then you used to be. You need to let people help you. Let me help you Sakura-chan."

She shut her eyes and felt a tear slip down her cheek. It was the first time that she acknowledged that she felt broken on the inside. Years of shutting down and isolating herself caught up quickly as she broke down in his arms, muffling her sobs into his jacket. She hated feeling weak. She had always hated feeling weak. "Ho-how can you think I-I'm no-not weak?"

"You're one of the strongest kunoichi's in the village. If you think you're weak for crying, it's only because you've refused to let anyone in."

He was right and she knew it. He was a genius and in love with her. She leaned up and found his lips, eagerly trying to find the source of comfort he was offering her. He kissed her back just as eagerly, holding her closer to him. His lips molded against hers softly as his tongue caressed the inside of her mouth. Her hand clutched his vest like a lifeline as he pulled away first to breathe. "Shikamaru…I don't-I don't know what to say."

He only smiled at her. "You know what I see when I look at you?"

She tilted her head in confusion. He chuckled, "I see a woman who has a brash attitude and just enough patience to keep me in line. Her pink hair and jade eyes contradict each other as she pummels you across the forest with one hand. But I see kindness that only a doctor could hold."

She couldn't help but listen. She didn't see this in herself. She felt gross and weak. She felt like a piece of meat. He continued, "Everyone sees a beloved cherry blossom that lost herself at the end of the war. We want her back. I want her back."

Her voice was quiet and timid, "She's still there…"

He knew he was close to coaxing it out of her. He squeezed her, "Then let her come out."

A part of her wanted to let go and kiss this man senseless. But her stubborn side refused to budge. "She won't kill Sasuke…she's too weak."

"You won't be alone."

She nodded and let her head fall onto his shoulder. "Shika…don't-"

"I'm not going anywhere."

She let out a sigh. "I'll try…for you."

"That's all I could ask for." He kissed her temple and let her get comfortable. He wondered if she had been frightened when Sasuke had met her in the forest. The girl's eyes were fluttering shut and she yawned. He could tell she was exhausted. "Sleep Sakura. We're leaving in a few hours."

He watched her nod off onto his shoulder, her face much softer beneath her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes. Shikamaru couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that the old Sakura may start to show herself again. He hoped it wouldn't take long, because they had a mission to complete. With the moon starting to make its way into the sky, the Nara listened to the rushing footsteps, waiting to make his escape.

**AN: I feel as if this chapter sucks. Blah. My apologies. Review! **


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